1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of devices for cutting shingles, and particularly to a device for cutting shingles for a ridge cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of devices are provided in the prior art for cutting shingles and other sheet-like materials. Paper cutters, for example, are well known in the art, and typically include a base for supporting the paper, and an arm which pivots downwardly and cuts the paper with a scissor-like action. In U.S. Pat. No. D228,825, issued to Pottern on Oct. 23, 1973, there is disclosed a conventional paper cutter of this design. A similar device, but provided for cutting siding, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,285 issued to Greene on May 26, 1964. A sheet material cutter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,250, issued to Parks, et al. on July 19, 1966, which includes a base that carries a U-shaped cutting blade and a platen that is pivoted down against the blade to effect the cutting action.
A variety of shingle cutting machines have also been described in the prior art. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,623,983, issued to Speer on Apr. 12, 1927, there is described a machine for cutting shingles into strips having complex shapes. The Speer machine utilizes multiple cutting blades mounted on a rotary drum. A cutting device which also uses knives mounted on a rotating support is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,682,921, issued to McFarland on Sept. 4, 1928. A shingle trimming machine using a reciprocating action is described in U.S. Pat. No. 387,389, issued to Batt on Aug. 7, 1888.